Has the Wash been damaged?

[macnorton]

There is a work crew in the Wash laying cables for the windfarms, I believe a channel is being cut in the sea floor and the cable placed in it.

The (wreck) sands next to RAF no4 which are near to the present works are now covered in filthy slime, the muscle beds on the wreck are just about dead, no samphire to be seen in that area and where have the seals gone?

No doubt in time things will settle back down but as the work moves further out what will be the effect on the bottom feeders, skeggy and hunstanton beaches or even further down the coast around Wells as the out-going tide goes that way.

Has anyone else seen anything simular?

 

[TimBob1989]

I was watching the workboats from the Nene river bank a couple of days ago. Whatever work they are doing to the sea bed is probably stirring up a fair bit of sludge, which would account for the slime you mention and I guess the change in water quality is affecting the fish and shellfish. If the water is murkier I guess the seals will be finding fishing more difficult and have probably gone for a wee holiday somewhere. As you say, no doubt it will settle down in time - if it's only mud getting stirred up I can't imagine it will lead to any long term problems, or at least I hope not!

 

[macnorton]

My concern is for many years the Nene was used as a dump for industry, and that slime must contain waste from chemical factories, tannery's, effluent and all manner of nasty by-products that have been dumped in the river over the centuries.
Bringing it to the surface in such quantity cant be a good thing?